<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Remember Me by withthekeyisking</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25638094">Remember Me</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/withthekeyisking/pseuds/withthekeyisking'>withthekeyisking</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Dick Rare Pair Challenge [6]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Batman (Comics), Nightwing (Comics)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Assassin Dick Grayson, Conditioning, Deal with a Devil, Dubious Consent, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, League of Assassins Dick Grayson, Loyalty, M/M, More tags to be added, Protective Dick Grayson, The League of Assassins (DCU)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 11:13:54</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,232</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25638094</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/withthekeyisking/pseuds/withthekeyisking</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Dick makes a deal with Ra's to save Damian and Tim.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Ra's al Ghul &amp; Dick Grayson, Ra's al Ghul/Dick Grayson</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Dick Rare Pair Challenge [6]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1836145</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>84</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>290</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Dick Grayson Rare Pair Challenge</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I'm posting this rather impulsively. I considered waiting to post this until the whole thing was written, and I have about 6K words done by now, but it turned out that it's ending up much longer than my original plan of 5K max, and I was itching to get this out. So here you go, the first chapter of yet <em>another</em> multichapter fic lol, my bad 😆</p><p>Shoutout to astercorvidae on tumblr for suggesting doing Ra's!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ra's stares at the young man opposite him curiously.</p><p>It's been a few years since he's seen Richard Grayson in person, not since the boy was wearing his father's cowl and defending Gotham with Ra's' own grandson as his Robin. He's kept tabs on him in the way he keeps tabs on everyone close to the detective, but his focus has always been elsewhere.</p><p>And yet here the boy sits at his table, in the center of the headquarters of the League of Assassins, looking as calm and put together as he might at a picnic in Central Park. Ra's watches him for any signs of nerves, any regrets about where he's found himself, but there are none. Whatever reason the boy is here, he's committed.</p><p>Seventeen minutes ago, Richard appeared at their front gates with his hands held aloft in peace and requested an audience with Ra's al Ghul. He carried no weapons, nor was he wearing his Nightwing suit. Instead dressed in plain jeans, a t-shirt, and leather jacket, and a small duffle bag slung over his shoulder.</p><p>Ra's can admit to being curious, and it's not like he carries any ill will towards the boy—past some amount of...<em>distaste</em> over what his influence has done to Ra's' grandson—so he decided to hear him out. He finished up the meeting he'd been in, had his men bring Richard to him, and now here they are.</p><p>"I must say, this is a surprise," Ra's says. "It's a rarity that a hero would willingly enter the den of the enemy, let alone supposedly without any ill intent. You can forgive me for any suspicion I might hold."</p><p>There's always the possibility, after all, that this is a ploy of some sort. Ra's couldn't possibly guess at what the <em>point</em> would be, but he has to consider all possibilities. Though he does know that Richard is the honorable type; it is unlikely that he would come here claiming peaceful intentions and then go against that.</p><p>"I can," Richard agrees, looking almost...<em>amused</em> by the idea. "But I'm not here to cause trouble. I'm here to make a deal."</p><p>Ra's raises his eyebrows. "A deal for <em>what,</em> exactly?"</p><p>"The safety of Damian and Tim," Richard says, serious once more. Still perfectly calm.</p><p>Ra's chuckles lightly. "Ah, so <em>that</em> is what this is about. I'm afraid you've come a long way for nothing, Mr. Grayson. While your dedication to your family is certainly admirable, you have nothing I want. Nothing worth what you ask, at least."</p><p>Ra's knows that neither his grandson nor Timothy will join him willingly, but that's alright; Ra's is a patient man, and very good at this game. He knows how to break Damian once he has him back where he belongs, and even if the boy is as much of a lost cause as he appears to be right now—too soft, after his time in Gotham, his time with <em>Richard</em>—Timothy most assuredly is not. Ra's will have the heir he seeks, he knows it.</p><p>"You want an heir," Richard says. "You want someone worthy, someone trained by the Bat. You want your legacy to be carried on by someone who can do what needs to be done, who will not hesitate."</p><p>He pauses, tilts his head. "You tested Tim to see his worth, gave him trials to see what he was capable of. He proved himself to you, where Damian has—in your eyes—failed. You want to secure your legacy."</p><p>"All true," Ra's agrees, amused, but he doesn't know what Richard's point is. This is not something he's ever made a secret of; he always wanted the detective to be his heir, going so far as to push Talia towards him to conceive one when it was made clear Bruce would not be returning to the fold.</p><p>So far, all of Bruce's students have proven highly capable, but Timothy is the one Ra's thinks has the most potential; Richard has always been incredibly skilled, but has always adhered too closely to the detective's teachings to be of any use to Ra's—a worthy heir for the mantle of the Bat, but not for the League of Assassins. Jason has the determination, but is too unpredictable. And Damian is, well. There's still the possibility of fixing him, at the very least.</p><p>Richard meets his gaze levelly.</p><p>"Neither Tim nor Damian will ever join you willingly, and you know it. And they won't break easily. Not only would you have to go through the effort of capturing them, but also then managing to <em>keep</em> them contained, for months on end. Years, maybe. And even <em>if</em> you lock them up thoroughly enough to prevent escape, and to keep <em>us</em> from getting them out, both of them have Kryptonians as best friends that I'm sure would <em>love</em> to bust in here and free them."</p><p>Ra's narrows his eyes. "Well if you're so sure my plans will prove completely ineffective, why are you here to make a deal at all?"</p><p>"Because I want to spare them that," Richard says. "Because I don't think you'll ever stop. I think you're patient enough to do it over and over again, keep hurting them until you get some sort of result. You'll traumatize them again and again, and maybe someday you'll really give up on Damian and decide to just kill him. Maybe even kill them both. And..."</p><p>Something twists Richard's expression momentarily, something resembling nausea, before he wipes it blank once more. "Going off something Tim told me, I don't think <em>physical</em> abuse is the only thing you're willing to do to get an heir out of him."</p><p>Ra's leans back in his chair. He knows what Richard is referring to, and he doesn't know if the boy is hoping to find guilt, but Ra's does not feel guilty. He would do it again, if it would get him what he wants. Timothy's <em>consent</em> is of little issue to him.</p><p>"Forgive me, Mr. Grayson, but I'm afraid I still don't see what you truly hope to accomplish with all of this. You make some excellent points, but that will not deter me. You have nothing I want that would be worth giving up my plans."</p><p>"When I was Batman, you told me you thought I was worthy of the mantle, that I had lived up to Bruce."</p><p>Ra's inclines his head. "I did."</p><p>"Would that translate to being worthy of being the heir to the League of Assassins?"</p><p>Ra's stares at him. Richard stares back unflinchingly. Ra's laughs.</p><p>"Richard," Ra's says condescendingly. "Do you have any idea what you're doing?"</p><p>"I do," Richard says. "I understand perfectly well. You want an heir trained by Bruce, one you consider worthy. In exchange for you leaving Damian and Tim alone, I'm offering myself to the League. To you."</p><p>Ra's sighs and reaches forward, pouring himself a glass of wine. He takes a long sip, watching Richard, who doesn't look uncomfortable under the attention, meeting his eyes steadily. He still shows no signs of nerves or regrets. He's committed to this course of action.</p><p>Well. He <em>thinks</em> he's committed, but he's absolutely wrong. And the fact that he can't tell is strangely naïve of him.</p><p>"Your dedication is admirable," Ra's says. "But the answer is no."</p><p>Richard's lips pinch. "Why?"</p><p>"Because I don't believe you," Ra's replies easily. "I can see that you mean it now, that you would give yourself over to spare your family some perceived pain. But the <em>problem,</em> Richard, is that this won't last. You won't want to comply, you will become argumentative and disobedient, and maybe even go as far as to go against my interests for what you think is right."</p><p>"I won't—"</p><p>"You will," Ra's cuts him off, irritated. "Because being part of the League of Assassins, being <em>my heir,</em> is nothing like being a <em>hero.</em> This is not like being Batman. You're smart enough to know that."</p><p>"I am," Richard says firmly. "I <em>do</em> know that. I didn't make this decision lightly. I know what I'm committing to, and I'm ready."</p><p>"You're <em>ready,</em> hm?" Ra's says with a cocked eyebrow. "So if I were to bring someone in here right now and tell you to kill them to prove it, you would?"</p><p>Richard swallows heavily, but he doesn't flinch. "If you swore to leave Damian and Tim alone," he says slowly, something far away in his eyes, "then yes, I would."</p><p>Ra's watches him carefully. He looks like he means it. Ra's is tempted to test it, to bring up someone from the dungeons right now and hand Richard a blade, see what he does. See how far this dedication truly goes.</p><p>"Does the detective know where you are right now?" Ra's asks.</p><p>Richard frowns. "Not yet. I left a note that he'll find in a day. Bruce...wouldn't approve."</p><p>Ra's can't help but chuckle. "No, I imagine not. I imagine he'd be rather furious with you, actually." He tilts his head. "You're serious."</p><p>"I am," Richard says, something loosening in his shoulders. "I'm tired of Damian and Tim always looking over their shoulders, waiting for the other shoe to drop. I'm tired of your assassins appearing in Gotham and hurting my brothers. I'm just tired of it all. They don't deserve it, they deserve to be allowed to live their lives as the heroes they wish to be."</p><p>"And you don't?" Ra's asks curiously.</p><p>Richard frowns again, something troubled in the expression. "I didn't say that. I'm just...if I have the ability to spare them lots of pain, then I'll do it."</p><p>"Even if that means pledging yourself to me."</p><p>Though it wasn't a question, Richard nods in confirmation. "Yes."</p><p>"You do realize you're giving your life away," Ra's says. "You will never put on the Nightwing suit again, never spend your nights saving lives. You will never get to fall in love with someone of your choice. Never sit down to dinner with your family again. You will be here with me, and you will kill and steal and torture at my command. You will follow my orders no matter what. You will belong to me, and to the League of Assassins. You will fight for <em>our</em> interests, not for what you think is right."</p><p>Richard doesn't waver. "I knew what I was signing up for when I came here."</p><p>Ra's hums. "We'll see."</p><p>Richard's breath hitches infinitesimally. "Does that mean we have a deal?"</p><p>Ra's considers him for a long moment. He still finds it likely that this will all fall apart. That Richard will be faced with an awful task, and not be able to complete it. He's still too...<em>good,</em> too tied to the detective's teachings. It's almost certain that he won't be able to handle this like he thinks he will, certainly not enough to be the heir Ra's seeks.</p><p>But the boy is highly skilled. Extremely intelligent, an expert tactician and leader, ruthless in his goals. If he can truly step past his morals like he claims, then yes, he could be a worthy successor. There's no harm in seeing how this plays out.</p><p>"As long as you understand that if you prove yourself unable to follow through on what you say, if you are not as loyal as you claim to be, then the deal is off. I will return to my original plans for Timothy and my grandson. And I will be <em>displeased</em> with how you wasted my time."</p><p>"I understand," Richard says immediately. He looks like he's trying very hard not to be hopeful. Ra's wouldn't be surprised if his pulse is racing, so close to the outcome he'd been seeking.</p><p>"Good," Ra's says. "Then pledge yourself to me."</p><p>He's vague on purpose; he wants to see what the boy will do. The first test of many.</p><p>Richard hesitates for a moment—probably trying to think through what to do—and then he slides off his chair and to his knees before Ra's, bowing his head submissively. Ra's can admit he looks good there.</p><p>"I, Richard Grayson," the boy begins, "pledge my loyalty to you, Ra's al Ghul, and the League of Assassins. I give you my life."</p><p>Ra's' lips quirk upward, amused, enjoying the formality of it. He reaches out and settles a hand on the top of Richard's head. "I accept your loyalty. Welcome to the League of Assassins, my boy."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I have no clue how long this is gonna be, just that it's bigger than I was intending. Hopefully it won't spiral to be <em>too</em> large. A guy can dream. Hope you enjoyed!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I typically like doing longer chapters for fics, but idk there's something about this one that has me chopping it into small pieces. So enjoy this small chapter? We'll see if they get longer in the future? My bad?</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Dick watches Ra's go through the bag he brought with him.</p><p>It's not much, just a few things Dick didn't want to leave behind, and he has to keep himself from reacting as the demon's head examines the items, runs his fingers over them, sets them aside carelessly. He knows this is another test, as well as to satisfy Ra's' curiosity. He knows there will be a lot of that in the coming days, weeks, months.</p><p>And he'll pass each one, because he has to. He wasn't lying when he said he didn't make this decision lightly; it took him a long time to truly come to this decision, and now that he's here he has no intention of backing down. He'll do anything for his family, including giving himself to Ra's al Ghul.</p><p>Ra's flips through the few photos in the bag, the pictures of Dick's family. His expression is lined with distaste when he lands on the one of Dick and Damian at a carnival. Damian is looking at the camera, clearly trying to frown but failing, happiness still in the lines of his face. He's holding a stuffed animal Dick won him, and wearing a ridiculous tie-dye t-shirt Jason bought. He looks like a happy, regular kid. Ra's clearly doesn't like that.</p><p>The man tosses the photos aside, then smirks condescendingly at the stuffed elephant he pulls out of the bag next; it's old and worn, the last gift from Dick's parents. He doesn't like the other man handling it, but he bites his tongue. He's going to be doing a lot of that, he knows.</p><p>Ra's glances up at Dick with a raised eyebrow, his question clear.</p><p>"It's from my parents," Dick explains. "They gave it to me just a week before they were killed."</p><p>Ra's turns the stuffed animal over in his hands thoughtfully, then begins strolling away from the table. Dick watches him go, a slight furrow between his brows, and then sucks in a sharp breath when Ra's reaches the fireplace and tosses the stuffed animal into the flames.</p><p>"I—" he starts, and then cuts himself off, trying to breathe evenly. He puts his hands behind his back and grips tightly at his wrist, using the ache to ground himself. Watching the elephant catch fire and get destroyed is—painful, but that's a feeling he's going to have to get used to. Ra's is going to do a lot to him, he knows. He can't let the burning of a stuffed animal be the thing to break him, no matter where it came from.</p><p>Dick raise his gaze and finds Ra's watching him, the slightest of smiles curving his lips, and the look is pure condescension. Dick lets it roll right off of him.</p><p>"Something to say?" Ra's asks. Dick shakes his head. Ra's' expression shifts into something resembling disapproval. "When I ask you a question, you will respond verbally. Now, do you have something to say?"</p><p>"No, Sir," Dick replies. Ra's looks pleased by Dick adding on the honorific without prompting, and Dick thought he would be; Dick's here to work for him, after all, and Ra's is definitely one for standing on tradition.</p><p>"You, like everyone one else here, will call me <em>Master."</em></p><p>Okay, <em>really</em> one for standing on tradition.</p><p>Dick is really not a fan of that word—remembering the last person who wanted him to call him it, and how well <em>that</em> went—but he chose to be here. He came here of his own free will, and pledged himself to Ra's al Ghul and the League. That means calling Ra's whatever the man wants him to.</p><p>"Yes, Master," Dick says.</p><p>Ra's smirks at him, probably hearing something in his voice that shows he's less than enthused, but doesn't comment.</p><p>The man comes back over to the bag and picks up the stack of photos in one hand, a dreamcatcher Jason gave Dick in the other, and walks away again. Dick braces himself and then shows no outward reaction when Ra's tosses them in the fire right beside the stuffed elephant.</p><p>He repeats the process with the few other items Dick brought with him, and Dick mourns the last pieces of home he had. He doesn't know why he thought Ra's would let him keep them—it makes sense to destroy anything that would tie him to his old life—but he'd still hoped. He'd still wanted to keep those pieces of his family with him. Being in this place is going to change him; he'd simply wanted a small remembrance of who he's fighting for.</p><p>When Ra's is done, he comes back over and swipes his hand through the bag to check to see if he missed anything, and then he pauses, a slow smile crawling across his face. Dick knows what he's found.</p><p>"Ah," Ra's says as he pulls out the sword. He looks it over, holds it out as he checks its balance, holds it aloft as he looks over the carvings on the hilt. "You brought it with you."</p><p>"You called it a reminder that our paths would cross again," Dick says, as if Ra's needs to be told. "Seems you were right."</p><p>"I'm surprised you kept it," Ra's says. "You seemed quite displeased when I offered it to you."</p><p>Dick remembers. He remembers the hot sun above them, the sand that got everywhere. He remembers Ra's on the ground at his feet, the man's eyes goading him to strike the final blow and truly claim victory, and how he refused to play that game, instead throwing down his blade and walking away.</p><p>He remembers—<em>Maybe the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.</em></p><p>
  <em>I'm not Bruce, Ra's.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Keep telling yourself that.</em>
</p><p>And Ra's offering him one of his very own swords, telling him they'd meet again. Dick refused to take it, and yet when he returned to the batcave there it was, waiting on a chair for him.</p><p>Dick doesn't know why he kept it. He wanted nothing to do with Ra's, or with the man's plan for Bruce or the possible transference of obsession. He never used it, kept it wrapped up under a loose floorboard in his bedroom. Every once in a while he'd take it out and clean it, sharpen it, run through some katas with it. And then he'd put it back away, and not think about it until the next time he pulled it out.</p><p>He still doesn't know why he kept it. But after making the plan to come here—well, it felt appropriate that it was still in his possession.</p><p>"Follow me," Ra's instructs, and then begins striding towards the door, Dick's sword still clasped in his hand. Dick glances back at the fire, gaze lingering on the blackened form of his parents' elephant, the burning faces on the photographs, and then he turns to go after his new master.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>The event referenced where Dick beats Ra’s in a sword fight happens in Nightwing #152, and it’s badass. Ends with Ra’s giving Dick the sword and calling him “Detective”</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>